Day One

Today was the first day of orientation at Florida State University College of Law.

I got up at 6 am, caught the Tallahassee Metro bus at 7:00 am with my bike stowed on the front of the bus, rode as close as I could get to the law school, then biked the rest of the way to arrive at about 7:45.

Things are early, of course, but I think I am going to love this.

It was important to be here for orientation, as the admissions staff finalized the class count today. If I understood the Dean of the Law School correctly, the staff was somewhat surprised by the number of students who showed up. Last year's class was 190 students, a little shy of the number they wanted. This year, the count was 240, about 35 more students than their goal. I guess no one on this year's waiting list for FSU law received a last minute phone call. I also learned through this process that the number of seats for an entering class is not a "set in stone" figure. More people accepted FSU's offer of admission than they anticipated.

Thus far, nothing seems to be over my head. I do not really like the fact that my entire grade for every class will come down to the final exam, but as one professor said, the idea is to put the same kind of pressure on you as in a trial. It is a one shot deal. If you are arguing before the Supreme Court, the justices don't grade you on your preparation three months before you present your argument- they only judge your argument. A few hours in front of them is all you have... Three hours on the final exam will be all I have to show I understand the material.

Tallahassee is a nice town- much smaller than I expected for the capital of a state like Florida. There are only one or two buildings that you might call high-rises. Raleigh, NC seems to be a much busier place.

The campus of Florida State is large, with about 40,000 students attending. The football stadium is the most prominent structure on campus, and I rode past the statue of Bobby Bowden on my bike today, outside the main entrance to the field. At Western Carolina University, where I earned my bachelor's degree, I enjoyed leaving my car parked for days if not weeks while I walked to class, the library, the gym, and the cafeteria. I can't do that here. The gym is just too far away at FSU for me to take the trouble to go there just to run on a treadmill. I visited it today, though, and it is a beautiful state-of-the-art facility with three floors. The third floor is an indoor track.

The most surprising thing from day one was the food. Man, am I going to eat well in law school! I have no gripes about the food at WCU. It was good fare that kept me healthy all year. But at FSU, their all-you-can-eat location, the "Suwanee Room" is like a restaurant. It is better than Golden Corral. I felt like I was eating at the Olive Garden and Applebees and KFC rolled into one. The dining hall itself was massive with medieval style architecture that made it look like it belonged in a Harry Potter movie. I told one of their managers how good their food was, and he replied with a smile, "Yes, sir. We are a restaurant. We are not a cafeteria."

I am very glad I purchased a meal plan with block meals at the Suwanee Room. The only advantage WCU had was that I could walk there. At FSU, I have to drive and struggle to find a parking space before I can eat.

Today was a very full day. I could go on an on about the people I met, my living quarters, how great my parents were in helping me set up...

But tomorrow is another full day. I will have to be at the law school before 8 am more days than not this semester, so I'm going to get some rest.

Until Next Time,

Nathan Marshburn